Gohan's role/usage in "Dragon Ball Super"

[PsionicWarrior]

Hello, I'm new to these forums and sorry for I don't have the will to search for the one post explaining everything somewhere among the 849576384950 topics out there, so... Wtf about Gohan?

He's always been of enormous potential and at many points the strongest, I really thought he would come back to kick some more after getting bullied by Freeza and enter the tournament, but he had this meeting or whatever bs excuse to not go instead. Now he's completely off the show and I'm pretty deranged by the fact as a Saiyajin he can live like this.

Thoughts?

[sintzu]

Toriyama only wants to use Goku and Vegeta right now but hopefully that'll change in the next arc.

[Lord Beerus]

When Toriyama feels as though he needs to have Gohan play an intergral part in the story, he make an appearance. Until then he'll stay on the sidelines. Simple as that. There's no need to shoehorn him into the plot if he not going to contribute anything towards its progression just to keep his fanbase happy by having him appear more. That's counter-productive story telling.

[TekTheNinja]

They turned him into a bland average father character. It's stupid.

[PsionicWarrior]

There's no need to shoehorn him into the plot if he not going to contribute anything towards its progression just to keep his fanbase happy by having him appear more. That's counter-productive story telling.

Oh I fully agree, but the writing is what creates any needs no? Besides, I'd feel better knowing he's training while in the sidelines, a Saiyajin who doesn't feel the urge of training is what makes no sense IMO, moreover after the Frieza incident, he gave up a bit fast didn't he? All he said about protecting his wife and kid suddenly for nothing.

They turned him into a bland average father character. It's stupid.

Yeah, pretty much that.

[LightBing]

How was he turned into a "bland father character" in the tournament arc? He barely appears and the reason for that is work/studies. His daughter and wife were at the tournament...

I think Mr.Toriyama didn't know what to do with him in this arc and pushed him aside, since he's too strong to be just an audience member and it would go against his epiphany after Freeza's invasion.

[Kagari]

He turned down a job offer in episode 43 to stay with his family so he should be around for the new arc.

[Xeztin]

I think it's safe to assume that if we can go from fighting over food with an overall light hearted story, to a dark toned arc that we will one day see another "Bad-ass" Gohan. I'd say don't worry, he'll have his moment soon and it was kind of foreshadowed in the ROF arc.

[Saikyo no Senshi]

Gohan isn't interesting anymore to Toriyama.

- Travis

[namekiansaiyan]

The one reason the Saiyans probably won't get a power up is because the whole of Super seems to be about Goku and Vegeta training and would look stupid if another Saiyan gets to there power in an instant. To get power ups for Saiyans they would have to do intense training with Whis to become a God but that will obviously take time. That is currently why I think Piccolo has more of a chance at a power up as he is a different race.

[MozillaVulpix]

Well, that whole subplot about him deciding to train again feels like something added in by Toei so they can bring him back at a moment's notice when needed. But either way, Super is focusing on the characters who they think will sell. Clearly, people thought Gohan wouldn't sell. For the Champa Arc, at least. He still had a pretty big role in the RF arc, despite how much weaker he got.

So I'm with Lord Beerus. Gohan will be important if Toriyama or anyone in Super's staff wants him to be important. Until then, he's on standby. The fact that they don't even seem to know what hairstyle to give him makes it clear they're not so sure about his future.

[NitroEX]

Lazy, uncreative writing plus a deep seated hatred for Gohan leaves you with Dragonball Super.

The only purpose Gohan serves in DB Super is to be humiliated, buried and stripped of any credibility he once had. And the reason for all this?... there is none. Well, I suppose you could say they wanted to elevate Goku and Vegeta but is ruining Gohan the only way to do that? Of course not, but that won't stop apologists from insisting it was necessary and a "natural progression of his character".

Other common excuses you'll hear in defence of such terrible writing are:
1) It's always been Goku's show
2) Gohan was never a fighter
3) He lost Mystic/SSJ 2 because he didn't train

Weak arguments in my opinion.

[PsionicWarrior]

Gohan isn't interesting anymore to Toriyama.

- Travis

Can you source this quote please?

[PsionicWarrior]

The one reason the Saiyans probably won't get a power up is because the whole of Super seems to be about Goku and Vegeta training and would look stupid if another Saiyan gets to there power in an instant. To get power ups for Saiyans they would have to do intense training with Whis to become a God but that will obviously take time. That is currently why I think Piccolo has more of a chance at a power up as he is a different race.

Maybe it's me but I hardly find any sense in all this. For all we know Gohan could become stronger by introducing new writing independently of Whis. As for Piccolo, I don't see that happening. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought the ability of going beyond their own limits as a particularity of Saiyajins.

[Saikyo no Senshi]

Gohan isn't interesting anymore to Toriyama.

- Travis

Can you source this quote please?

From being a character who was pretty much the top guy at the end of Cell arc to a character now whose presence on screen itself has become so rare is enough of a reason for me to believe that either the author isn't interested in him or doesn't know what to do with him.

- Travis

[namekiansaiyan]

The one reason the Saiyans probably won't get a power up is because the whole of Super seems to be about Goku and Vegeta training and would look stupid if another Saiyan gets to there power in an instant. To get power ups for Saiyans they would have to do intense training with Whis to become a God but that will obviously take time. That is currently why I think Piccolo has more of a chance at a power up as he is a different race.

Maybe it's me but I hardly find any sense in all this. For all we know Gohan could become stronger by introducing new writing independently of Whis. As for Piccolo, I don't see that happening. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought the ability of going beyond their own limits as a particularity of Saiyajins.

So you are saying abother Saiyan should instantaneously just get as strong as Goku and Vegeta without training like them for a certain amount of time. For Piccolo I am not talking about training but fusing or a new form for namekians. I don't see Gohan getting a random power up unique to him for no reason as everyone will say why does he get the transformation and as he is a Saiyan the next step is to become a Super Saoyan God and to do that he will have to train like Vegeta and Goku.

[PsionicWarrior]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. OF COURSE Gohan would need to train in order to become stronger, only suggesting it could be in another way than Goku and Vegeta did, aka not with Whis but with someone else that has yet to appear IN EXAMPLE.
New form of Namekian I wouldn't be against.

[UpFromTheSkies]

If Black is as strong as Goku, I have a feeling Gohan will be the hero this time, because Vegeta said he's the only one with the potential to surpass him and Goku.

[namekiansaiyan]

If Black is as strong as Goku, I have a feeling Gohan will be the hero this time, because Vegeta said he's the only one with the potential to surpass him and Goku.

Be serious, he is not going from number 1 nerd to the strongest

[KentalSSJ6]

If I had a buck for every time I heard someone whine about Gohan I could buy this franchise.